Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-06-22

switched his tail In menacing way,
and plainly saw his talons dig into
the earth as he gathered his muscles
for a great effort. While there was a
settled determination on his part to
make food of me, there was certain
trepidation Of his general demeanor.
1t was plain that he was mystified. but
his ferocious nature prevailed.
The tiger kept abreast of the lion,
and he was the first to take the alarm.
He evidently scented the lion, for he
reared up, snuffed the air, and then
flung out paw and spat like an angry
cat. This noise startled the lion, and
he rose up, showed his teeth, and took
his eyes off me for the first time.
Either animal could easily have leaped
the wall, but neither attempted it. The
tiger took on fiercer look and drop
ped some Of his stealth, but the lion
reached the end of the wall
first, uttering roar of defiance
and evidently expecting to meet an
enemy. The tiger was four or five feet
from the end Of the wall, and the move
he made was so quick that my eyes
could not follow it. As the lions head
showed around the wall the big cat
made lightning spring, and the next
instant the two were rolling over and
over at my feet, fighting as only such
beasts can fight, and growing in a
manner to make my hair turn gray. 1t
was then that strength came back to
me, and rose up, but instead of rush
ing away l ran back into the building.
Reaching the rear wall stood there a
prisoner and spectator. The first
clinch lasted about three minutes, and
was characterized by such ferocity as
L can not describe. While the lion
and the tiger are probably natural
enemies, suppose the fact that both
had planned to make meat of me,
and both felt themselves disappointed,
aroused all their ferocity. Most of the
time during the first clinch they were
rolling over and over like big ball,
tearing, biting and growing, and the
movements of the tiger were much the
quickest. They finally separated, each
backed off few feet, and each stood
broadside to me. / could see half q
dozen blood-stains on the lions side,
while the tiger had been terribly Bit
ten about the neck, and there was a
bloody scratch on his quarter. They
faced each other for about minute,
the lion roaring in deep bass and the
tiger snarling like an enraged cat.
Then, as swift rs q flash of lightning,
the tiger bounded through space and
alighted on the lions back, and again
they rolled and tumbled about. The
fight was too fierce to be kept up long,
and too determined not to result In
severe injuries.
+ When the beasts finally struggled to
their feet, the tiger had hold of the lion
Just back of the foreshoulder and he
hung there and worried the king as a
dog would sheep. Twice the lion
yelped out as if he had lost his courage,
but he suddenly made grand exertion
broke the tigers hold, and then turned
and caught him by the neck. thought
all was over with the cat. The lion
actually lifted him clear off the ground
and shook him, and this time the tiger
whined. After q bit, however, he
twisted his body around until his hind
claws came into play, and then the
lion had to let 60. There was another
rest for minute or two, and again the
tiger was the aggressive party. This
time they fought more like dogs,
neither seeming able to down the other
and they kept working away from the
building towards the creek. / advanc-
ed as they retreated, and they were
still doing their best to destroy
each other when they rolled off the
bank into the creek. Each was cover
ed with blood from nose to tail, and
the injuries inflicted must have been
serious. The tumble into the water
separated them, and while the tiger
reached tho opposite bank at one spot.
the lion crawled out ut another thirty
feet away, and both limped into the
forest without the slightest desire to
renew the fight.-M T. Sun.